Handmade Paper, Petal/Leaf - Standard

Handmade Petal/Leaf - Standard Mulberry Paper / Saa Paper

When we started this type of paper in 1990 it had never been seen before. Today it has become one of the most recognised and certainly the most popular of handmade papers in the world. Petal papers are an HQ PaperMaker speciality and our creations are now world famous. Each sheet is a work of art.

We use real petals, leaves and grasses that are collected from our nursery early each morning and embedded into the paper the same day while the texture and colour are still perfect. We take the utmost care with this paper, but please note that because the inclusions are natural, sometimes colours will change unpredictably in time; this is a feature of the paper.

In many of our designs we place the petals and leaves meticulously into artisic patterns, rather than scattering them randomly. This adds time to the process and accordingly we havethree price brackets (A) Random, (B) Artistic and (C) Complex. It takes a skilled papermaker three times longer to make a (C) pattern than an (A) pattern.

Our petal and leaf papers are available in three different types, to suit different end uses. On this page we have code 0161 Standard papers. This is a single sheet of mulberry paper with added materials that are embedded within the pulp. It is pliable but quite rigid. Suitable mainly for craftwork and for screens, placemats, greeting cards and lampshades.

Our handmade paper is made by traditional techniques using a teak wood mould/deckle. Handmade papers take the size of the mould and have four deckled edges.

Due to the uneven quality of deckled edges, the dimensions of each sheet of handmade paper will vary slightly - typically up to 1cm.

A note on cutting handmade paper to smaller sizes with straight edges: please allow about 2cm (1") all around the sheet for trimming to straight edges before cutting.

Mulberry paper is called saa paper in Thailand and there is only one variety of mulberry tree that is used today. The Latin name for this is Broussonetia Payrifera Vent and it grows abundantly in the norh of Thailand and also in neighbouring Laos and Burma. Handmade mulberry paper from Thailand is also sometimes referred to by the Japanese name kozo, although paper here is no longer made from kozo, which is a different genus of tree. The Japanese import most of their mulberry raw material from Thailand and neighbouring countries and make it into washi and other papers.